[NEohioPAL]ON GOLDEN POND QUESTIONABLE CHOICE/OHIO BALLET FINE

[Roy Berko]

ON GOLDEN POND A QUESTIONABLE CHOICE AT CPH & A FINE
OHIO BALLET FALL PROGRAM

Roy Berko
(Member, American Theatre Critics Association)

--THE TIMES NEWSPAPERS--
Lorain County Times--Westlaker Times--Lakewood News
Times--Olmsted-Fairview Times	

SELECTION OF ON GOLDEN POND AT CPH QUESTIONED

Ernest Thompson’s ON GOLDEN POND is a play about
aging, love, family and forgiveness.  It was an
instant hit when it opened on Broadway in 1979.  The
1981 film version won Academy Awards for Henry Fonda
and Katharine Hepburn.   The present Cleveland Play
House’s production is entertaining, eliciting laughs
and some tears from the audience.  
	
Why did CPH chose a show that is one of the most-oft
done plays on the amateur theatre circuit?   According
to the show’s program Artistic Director Peter Hackett
indicates that he chose it because the Associate
Directors of Monomoy Theatre, Mike Hartman and Darrie
Lawrence, where Hackett saw the show in the summer of
2000, were available to do the show at CPH.  He
indicates that he is delighted that they are reprising
their roles.   There are many in the local theatre
community who question whether CPH, which proposes to
be a major US professional theatre, should be produce
such shows rather than stretching itself by appealing
to younger audiences and doing more challenging
scripts.  That controversy withstanding, ON GOLDEN
POND is appearing at CPH and needs to be reviewed.	

ON GOLDEN POND centers on two elderly people, Norman
and Ethel Thayer, returning for their 48th year to
their summer home on Golden Pond in Maine.  He has
heart palpitations, failing memory and a caustic
tongue.  Chelsea, their emotionally distant
adult-daughter comes to visit along with her "boy
friend" Bill and Billy, his 13-year old son by a
previous marriage.   Billy stays behind as Chelsea and
Bill go off to Europe on what turns out to be their
honeymoon.  We see a transformation in both Norman and
Billy as they bond together.  The summer ends.  The
Thayer’s are about to leave when Norman has an angina
attack.  Will they ever return to Golden Pond?
	
Carol Dunne’s direction is basically on key.  Mike
Hartman is wonderfully endearing as Norman.  Darrie
Lawrence is fine as Ethel.  Kate Levy does well as
their daughter.  Young Adam Siciliano doesn’t quite
allow us to see the transition from a kid ripped apart
by divorce who transforms before our eyes into a nice
young man under the loving guidance of the irascible
Norman.   Bill Clarke has created an attractive and
functional set.  Those who attend ON GOLDEN POND will
enjoy themselves.
	
ON GOLDEN POND will be performed in the Bolton Theatre
at the Cleveland Play House through December 8.  
Tickets may be obtained by calling 216-795-7000 or on
line at clevelandplayhouse.com.

OHIO BALLET PRESENTS PLEASING WINTER PROGRAM

Ohio Ballet is presenting a very pleasant evening of
dance as its FALL PROGRAM.  It showcased in
Cleveland’s Ohio Theatre on November 15 and 16.  It
will be repeated on November 22 and 23 at the E. J.
Thomas Performing Arts Hall.

FRIENDS AND LOVERS, which consists of three
pas-de-deux, examines relationships.  It featured
strong performances by all of the women dancers and
exceptional partnering by Alicia Pitts and Brian
Murphy.  Young Eric Carvil is improving with each Ohio
Ballet performance.  Unfortunately, the same cannot be
said for William Hoppe who still needs to learn the
necessary confidence and skills.  The live musical
accompaniment of Antonin Dvorak’s music was
beautifully performed by Linda Nagy Johnston, Madelena
Burle Marx and David Fisher.

CAPTURE, choreographed for the Diavolo Dance Theatre,
was a fascinating piece.  It featured a proficient
Damien Highfield and the effervescent Amanda Cobb. 
Cobb entered and exited a segmented silver half-sphere
into which Highfield was attached.  The segmented
globe rocked and twirled to Juliet Prater’s
well-conceived original far-eastern music creating a
visual illusion of flow and movement.

PYGMALION & GALATEA, choreographed by Jeffrey Graham
Hughes, was the weakest segment of the evening.  The
dance movements were often out of sync with the mood
and cadence of the music.  In spite of this, Jesica
Salomon was wonderful.  Unfortunately Dmitry Tubolstev
didn’t get physically and emotionally involved in his
dancing.  He is talented, but his posturing creating
overly affected moves and gestures to convey a surface
level performance.  He failed to emotionally connect
with his partner.  

SIXTY-EIGHT, choreographed by Leslie Cook, combined
music of Simon and Garfunkel, Jimi Hendrix, Janis
Joplin and Buffalo Springfield into a series of
dances.  It paralleled the musical styles of 1968, the
year the Ohio Ballet was created 35 years ago.  The
highlight was a jazz version of "Summertime" and was
beautifully danced by Amanda Cobb and Damien
Highfield.  Brian Murphy, the company’s strongest and
emotionally most involved male dancer, lit up the
stage.  Strong performances were also put in by Jesica
Salomon, Larissa Freude, Kristin Knapp, Alicia Pitts
and Mary Beth Hanson.

Tickets for the EJ Thomas Performance of FALL PROGRAM
can be obtained by calling 330-945--9400.

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